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How discolored are your header pipes?

NEWHD74FAN said:
TQ - in the 3rd pix, is that white stuff snow...?!!! :small3d031:
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Not sure what it is. When I took off the emblem plate on the nose cone, that is what I found. The chrome is in VERY bad shape, so this stuff may be some sort of corrosion by-product? Anyway, I replaced the nose cone. Is there some sort of stuff that should be put into the empty area behind the emblem plate to protect it?

TQ
 
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Grillfish said:
I've have a 09 RG with stock pipes and intake. I put on a TFI last week, used the settings in the directions for a stock bike. It seems it's running great.

Now, I'm not sure if I had major discoloring on the header pipes (all along the header pipes) before the TFI or it happened recently w/in the past week. The heat shields cover all of the discoloration, but curious of others experiences. I have 2,000 miles on the bike.

Thanks.

Ride safe and have fun.
Todd
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Only know of one way to keep the pipes from discoloring! --- don't ever start the scoot!!
 
Really only one way is to find after market exhaust headers with true double wall construction or made out of very expensive stainless. Alternative is good full length good coverage heat shields.
 
TQuentin1 said:
Not sure what it is. When I took of the emblem plate on the nose cone, that is what I found. The chrome is in VERY bad shape, so this stuff may be some sort of corrosion by-product? Anyway, I replaced the nose cone. Is there some sort of stuff that should be put into the empty area behind the emblem plate to protect it? TQ
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That is a form of corrosion that occured on the inside only of the nosecone which has bare aluminum/pot metal. The outside, being chrome plated and visible is protected by the chrome plating from direct surface attack or intergranular corrosion and is usually kept clean due to its visibility. The reason your bolts snapped of is because of the dissimilar metal caused the nosecone material to corrode (anodic) and swell, locking the screw. The only way I could think of protecting it would be to maybe coat it with a high-temp primer and paint (header paint maybe) and seal the coverplate with high-temp silicone to keep moisture out. Problem then is, when it heats up and cools down (front head pipe runs under it with no shield) the air inside will expand and contract so I would assume it must "breathe" somehow. Seems like an asthetics void as bikes no longer have points in there. Interesting design.
 
Yep, you found it...I like Kuryakyn stuff and just couldn't remember where I saw it... only wish they made a two piece setup for my Sporty...maybe try it in the future, but my chrome pipes are okay looking "in the gap" so far anyway!:newsmile091:
 
Mine look a lot like the one in the "before" picture. It's been bugging me for a while now, but I didn't think there was much I could do about it until I came across this product by accident. Should be here sometime next week.
 
ktorian said:
I just ordered a "Bridging the Gap Heat Shield" by Kuryakyn to cover the small section of exposed pipe on my Ultra. Seems like a good idea/product. Has anyone else tried it?

Kryakyn - Harley - Bridge The Gap Heat Shield
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I used it on my RK, What I found is that you need an extra clamp on the rear of the shield to keep it tight to the pipe. It covers that blued pipe pretty well. HD also sells a longer shield for about $75 that is one piece from the head to past the curve in the pipe.
 
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